The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1887-07-21

n front OF the hammer, ready for that quicl
p and deadly motion called flaming,
q Another moment and the door softly
y opened and Beaver-Dam Bill entered fol.
n lowed by his companion. They must have
been looking cautiously downward and
: picking their steps, for they were both in
e the room before they saw the weapon
. pointed at them, and the fierce eyes be-
4 hind it and heard the grim command:
"Hold up yer hands--yei' They obeyed
; in an instant, In unmistakable surprise and
panic. Uncle Jim advanced q step.
} II don't know why didn't shoot the pair
OF ye on sight" said be in concentrated
tones.
The small man, bringing before him, man.
aged to command his Voice.
MIR Boyle," he stammered, ''don't shoot,
don't shoot We amt a-d6u' no harm.
Hope TO die Of amt givin' it TO yer
straight Our guns amt loaded; yer kin
see fur yerself.n
Uncle Jim's face relaxed slightly. He
approached the men, who dared not lower
their hands, and took the revolver from the
oelt OF each. Sure enough, they were not
charged. He felt ior concealed weapons,
but found none.
"All right" he said ~ allow We Amt
very dangerous just nowi but I'd like TO
know what you cusses is a-doin'r
Then Mustang Nose spoke TO him, for the
first since his arrival at the ranch "rll
| tell fe," said he, me an this ERE pard o,
mine we struck o streak o. bad luck an
we had TO light out of Denver In hurry,
an we come down here. We might as well
be hung for sheep as fur lamb, and we
woudn'ta' made TO bones of maxim, n
strike in this yere ranch; but, when YOU
was a-givin' us the grand bounce, an that
pooty little gal come out an looked at us
two toughs with them gentle eyes O. hern |
an spoke in thas ptyin' voice, wal, blamed |
ef tibet didn't jest fetch me; an when got |
my pard alone, I seq to him. No funny |
business here an he seq, You bet.' An
we allowed TO light out Of this at daylight.
an strike fur the mountains. Say, Mister,
ye amt got no call to keep us, hey ven
Uncle Jim hesta,ed one moment, then.
with shrug Of his shoulders, he said.
YOU'RE rights amt got no use for 70.
Gitp
The men needed ne second permission,
In FIVE minutes time they were we'll on the
road to the foothills. Uncle Jim watched
their progress.
"a precious pair o. toughs, an no mis-
take" said he to himself. They'd got
away with US last night II they'd a. wanted
to. An they let up because the little girl
was good to 'em. WAL said there want
no man that woulo harm her, an even them
cusses--that, When ye come to size 'em up,
want men, but brrtes-they couldn't do II.
Now allow they've been up to sight o.
wickedness, but they done one square thing,
an no mistake
An hour passed, and still Uncle Jim sat
in the bright sunlight gazing toward the
he - /
hoofs was heard; It came nearer and near
or, and six horsemen, splendidly mounted,
rode round the corner Of the house and
pulled up. To any one familiar with the
West, glance would have told their char.
acter and their purpose On their stern, |
but not angry nor excited faces, in their
curiously unmistskahIe air OF grim, per-
sistent determination was written, as ifin
plain type, yigilantei L,
"Hullo, Jiml shaker cried the leader.
whats upinSsked Uncle Jim, returning !
the salutation.
Have you seen the pair OF cusses we're
afterin asked the leader "One was tall, !
and the other short, with red hairn 5
"Why," said Uncle Jim, 'we put 'em up I
fur the night, an they amt been gone I
more'n an hour" l
"You put them upr' cried the leader,
which appeared even on the stern and stolid
faces behind him. "You put them up. and S
there's any one OF you alive to tell the tale N
this morningi Wen, haven't time to talk I
now, but when We come back shall want L
10 ask you what on earth you did to keep a
them quiet Now, which way did they goi p
Straight up the road to the rangel All 8.
right Goodbye. Come on, boys and h
hey were OF at Gallop.
Uncle Jim sat as before, looking straight :"
before him. Close to the foothills the z
mountain road forked one branch leading | q
oward the south, another to a pass; and a,
he frontiersman lad seen the two men N
AXE the former.
'Ef John had asked me, Of course I'd
told him which way they WENT said he
o himself, "but he didn't wait allow VI
hem cusses is agoin' to be took, but / CO
wear I'd sooner hev lem took some other VI
Ime than jest when they've done the squar' ST
hing o. their lives" Then he lighted his a,
ipe. All Fong had come noiselessly be. y,
ind him. Later CO he heard the latter CRY
Hi yahi'i III
Uncle Jim looked up and saw the Chinese
oy gazing to the westward Following
is glance, he caught tho last glimpse OF SC
lie vigllants squirting up the road 10 the TO-
ass-the wrong road Ia,
GOOD morning, Mr.. Boyle" he heard, in '"'
soft voice behinG him. Where are our
lestsr'
WAL We see, Miss" he replied, ''they 7
as in an awful hurry, an they've been
me nigh on an hour
Then he looked at the charming girl
anding there with the sun shining on her Il
own hair, and thought, almost with
udder. OF what might have been in the A
ng night watches just passed. She had A
deed been the benefcent fairy who had
.orcised the demons; the good angel who A
ID set at naught the powers of darkness. Ne
Il this Uncle Jim thought from the depths GOV
his honest heart, but after the manner H. NJ
his kind he expressed himself very la. rem
nically, just as tho call came for break bea
st.
The sun was shining more brightly than
err The plains at the east and the noun The
ms at the west were bathed in flood of fr
lden light. The happy party were gath &
ing around the Widespread table, and pat
en- Uncle Jim drew a long breath.
Blame me,'' said he, "ef she amt q =
isy pa. A. Hayes. IN Epoch